Calming

I can always get Eli to calm down and stop crying. I just hold him in my arms, sit on the yoga ball, and bounce like there's no tomorrow. With only one failure--a truly epic failure--Eli is calm by the fifth bounce. But bouncing on a yoga ball takes a toll on your neck and back. You can't spend the whole day doing it.

I realized that so far, Eli has never soothed himself. At whatever level of agitation he's in, he will only become more agitated, cry even harder, unless we pick him up and soothe him. If he isn't asleep and he isn't being held, you should brush your teeth fast because you do not have much time.

He was fed, diaper changed, well-rested, so I decided tonight was a good time to let him cry for a while. I put him in his swing and let him scream for ten minutes. I calmed him down, then put him in his bassinet, where I let him scream for 7 minutes. Ok, that didn't work. But, I then held him and put him to sleep with virtually no bouncing. That, I think, is progress.

Some babies need to be held; others seem independent from the start. Neither end is perfect, but somewhere in between, for every baby, is the sweet spot. Eli's just so sweet all over, his is a little harder to find.



-- Post From My iPhone